Sunday, May 31, 2009

Running and wisdom...

I decided that one of the reasons I like to write a blog is to expound on things that I might not otherwise write about. I like being able to look back at old entries and see what I was thinking back then.

Last night I went out for a run. I don't know why I wanted to run, I was actually pretty tired...I worked half a day at work, attended a wedding at the church, and then had done yard work until after the sun had gone to bed. After that, I went and made some copies and went to the grocery store with my wife. By the time I got home, it was nearly 11 pm. Instead of getting ready for bed, I undressed myself enough to go running (I say undressed because if you had any idea about how small my shorts were....I'll spare you any pictures here).

The moment my feet hit the pavement I knew why I was running. Sometimes things just feel so right. I started out running down a dark street with no signs of life on it. Most of the windows were dark and I felt like I was alone. Several points along the way I was by myself...no cars to honk at me and scare me, no people to look at me, no sun sapping me energy. It was just myself, the moon, and the pavement. The cool night air was fantastic! I closed my eyes and started counting every other step...1...2...3...4...I got up to 20 before realizing that I had almost run off the other side of the road. I didn't realize just how much my eyes help in running.

As I ran the stresses of my day just melted away. The sore back I had from yard work just loosened up, the stiff legs were gone. I tend to let my mind wander when I run, and come up with a lot of solutions that way. It's amazing how problems get solved when you take your conscious mind off of them. I finished my run, and was tempted to tack another few miles on because it felt so good. Times like these remind me why I run, and keep going back to it.

Running is sometimes the thing that takes the kinks out of my mental hose. Sometimes it is the thing that presents a huge challenge. There have been times when the next step seemed pretty tough, but taking a step beyond what you thought you could is amazing. I don't know if any of this makes sense, but I think that running makes me a better husband and father. If not for the mental health benefits, there are some just plain cardiovascular benefits I have been told. I love running, funny that it's taken me years to realize just how much I do. Running is the best.

1 comment:

Jaime said...

i didnt realize how much i liked running until i couldnt anymore. :)but i'm gonna try again soon. (my running shoes are currently being shipped) whether i have a cankle or not. :)it is an amazing stress relief.